Railway-switch structure



Dec. 16, 1930. H. L. MILLER I RAILWAY SWITCH STRUCTURE Filed May is,1930 s sh ets-sheet 1 Dec. 16, 1930. H. Li MILLER RAILWAY SWITCHSTRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1930lllllllllllllllllllflllllllllllllllll" j nlmmnum I l T l Ill!" fivenzor/ Dec. 16 I 1930. H. L. MILLER RAILWAY SWITCH STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed y 15, 1950 Patented Dec. 16, 1930 N T n STA H RY L- I R orcareice mi r rs, s w o i w meme sen:-

AN E EAGQJr L NQ A CQ BQ AIIQN OF E A ARE v 1 RAILWAY-SWITCH s'rnnernnnj V 'hppiicationmed y n My'invention relates more particularly to switchstructures of the type commonly used in street railway tracks andcomprising a tongue switch'member pivoted at its heel portionto'swinginto and out of switching position, and on'e'of my objects istoprovide a novel construction ofmeans for preventing the upwarddisplacement of the tongue at its heel portion, while permitting of thedesired freedom of pivotal movement-onthe base structure with which itis associated. Another object is to provide means for the purposestatedto the end that the'parts of the structurewill be subjected tominimum wear and the life of thestructure prolonged; and oth-er objectswill be manifest from the following description;

" Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1- is aplan View of a switch structure of the characterabovestated andcon: structed in accordancewith' my invention. Figure 2 is aplan View of the pivoted switch tongue "of the/structure shown in Fig.1;

Figure tongue of ,Fig. 2.

Figure 4: is an enlarged section taken at! Fig. 1 andviewedin thedirecthe line l'on V tion'of the arrow;

. Figure 5 is an enlarged the line 5 on Fig. r ng" viewed'in the direc-Figure 8 is an en larged broken planview of the heel portion ofthepivoted tongue member of the preceding figures I andthe', other'adjacentparts of the switchj'structurei Figure 2 is a section.takenatjtheiline 99 on Fig. 8 andviewed intheidirectionof the 'arrows. Figure 10 1s asection takenat the l ne 10+10 on Fig. 8 andviewed inthefdirection ofthe arrows. v i a V r. Figure 11 a brokenfplan sectional iew 3 is anedge of the pivoted section talren at" 9 30; t am. 452373.

taken attheline-ll ohF-igi and i i-ewediin;

the di 1'-ection oi:'-the arrow. 7

, Figure 12 1s a plan View ofa cover form- "ing an element oftheconstruction; and

' Figure '13, a sectiontaken at' the line 13 on Fig-. lfl andviewed in"thefdirection' of the arrow.

7 Referring to the illustrated construction of the switchdevice, itcomprises'a base mem-' ber 14:- which may be, and preferably is,

' formed as an integral structure, as'for ex ample ofmanganese steel,this base member I being pronidedat one end with a projection 15 in' theform-of a grooved' rail section, the groovej of which for receiving the"wheel flange is represented at 16 and' its running surface atl7.'j Thebody portion, l t-at its opposite end is provided with two divergentportions "18 and 19 each in-the'form of a groovedrail section, thegrooves in these sec} tions being represented at 20 and2l,zirespectively,anol their running surfaces at 22 and 23,respectively; V c V g r The body portion 14 is formed onits uppersurface with a recess 24 in which the pivoted tongue member, of theswitch represented at 25 is located and; in which it isshiftable back Iand forth about its pivot, the tongue mem edat 26;

be'r 2 5 being reeessed lengthwiseas representa V 8.0 Y "The bodyportionleis provided with a runningflsurface .which connectstherun- 'ningsurfaces 17 and 23, therunni'ng surface of thetongue 25 beingrepresented at 28 and spanning the space between'the running'surfaceslTand 22.

1m y'b stet dth 'w th he t e b lt 2 the .p sitiee sfhc nie ig-Il a a pasi g b ethi wi ch confi iictien i mv emfi le l y alo th traight i e; -Iy 0n the unn ng z fe 'eis 2.8 n 2 1 a ar ap r ac e h en uelm mh ir 2 fQm he right IiJ i 1 er the w t track rail portion of. thefwheelwedgesfin between .the'p'ortion of, the base 7 14s=presenting therunning '1su-rface' 27 and 1 the tonguemember .25, thereby swinging this1 tongue'member' in clockwise direction-in Fig. '1' out of th y SQ thatnew will pa onto the straight tongue member thus serves to force thewheels of an eastbound car moving along the track portion toward therightin Fig.-

1 to compel' the car to travel along'the run ning surface 27 thusswitchingit onto the i i switch track 19.

the switch. v

with common practice, the'side of the track opposite that at which theswitch construction described is located -nj1a'y, or may not, contain asimilar switch construction,"and where it does :not, the switch railparalleling thejpo'rtion of the base 14 prov'idedwith the:runningsurface 27 andthe rail portion l) would converge toward thestraight track "rail, with its fpointjedextremity spaced from thestraight track rail a distance sufficientto permit'the'fiange of thewheel to continue aleng'ithe straighttrack when the switchdevice-isf'out of switching position, but to be comeengagedj by theflange of the wheel whenthe switch device is shifted to switchring.position, inwhich caselthe' switch device YVO11 lCl pperate jto,f orce.the wheels to take 1.: Referring now to I the details of thepivotin-gmfthe tongue member in place on the base; 14, the base 14contains. an upwardly. opening circular recess 30 inwhich-the cir-'culandisklikelieel portion 31 of the tongue member 25 is rotatableabout a vertical axis,

thewall',oftherecess 30 being cut awayat its left-hand side-'in'Fi'g. 1to permit the tongue members-25m occupy this recess and avoidobstruction "to the tongue member in its swinging movements Iabovereferred to. l. L-Thebottom, of the recess, 30 represented at 32contains an opening 33 therein which com 'anunicatesf-with;a coredoutspace 34 in the membr Qf'largr dimensions than th? The heel portion31 0f thetongue member 2 5 isprovided, substantially coincident with theaxis about which it rotates in the recess 30, with. a depending lugi 35,this lug presenting a spherical surface 36. at which it is engaged bysimilar spherical surfaces 37 and 38;,pro vided onmember's 39 and 40supported on'the' basejmember 14,.1The member 40 is. shown asahead of abolt 41" and the member "39 as a block through .which the bolt'41 ex}tends, the .block 39 being slidable on, thelbolt.

A' coilfspring 42 surrounds the shank oi the bolt 41an'd is held incompressed condition between the block 39' 'a-nd'l a nut 43* screwed--11p'oa the' threaded end ofithebolt 41. The

bolt 341 with its. block 39 1 and" spring 42',- is I mounted the.space134;andisconfined.. i against upward displacement and displacementto the left in Fig. 9 by fitting at its head 40 and block 39 within theconfining.

walls of the space 34 as shown in Fig. 9, the spring 42 serving to forcethe parts 39 and 40 toward each other andin close engagement rection tothe right in Fig.9 which presses the heel 31 of the tongue member 25 atits portion indicated at 44 against the portion ofthe wall of the recess30 indicated at 45. t Wlll be understood that, in accordance Anytendency of the tongue member 25 to rise at 'its'he'elpor'tion 31 isresisted by the engagement ofthe overhanging spherical portions 37fand-38 ofthe, members 39 and 40 with the;spherical'surface'36 of the lug35'.

016I1tly: closelytogether to prevent the nut 43 which extendsbetweenthem, from accidentally-rotating out of adjusted position..,While I have-illustrated and described a particular constructionembodying my in ,vention, I-do-not wish to be understood 'as 1n-ftendingto' limit it theretoasthe same may. be variously modified and:altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. What Ic1aim-as new,.and desire to secure byLettersPatentflsr. 7 I I and balland sectional-socket .means on. said tongue member and base memberforpre-' {venting member.

2. A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted switch .tonguemember, ball and sectional socket meanson saidtonguc upward displacementof said tongue member and basemember. "forv preventingupwarddisplacement. of; said tongue member,

and spring means forcing the sections of said socket intocontact withsaid ball, portion.

133A switch strueture com-prising a base member, a pivoted tonguemember, j' and means {for holding. .said tongue member against 'upward dsplacement comprising a portion on said tongue member presenting 1. A.switchstructureicomprising a base 1 'member, a p voted switch tonguemember,

a spherical, surface anda :plu rality of relatively movable membershaving sp'herical surfaces at whichthe y. overlappingly engage. thespherical surface of saidton'gue member. J

4. ,A switch strncture comprising a, base m be 1 W dtfisi having 1depending lug theouter,=su'rfaceof is of arc-shape plan andinclinestoward the axisof rotation oi said-tongue member, and means fori holdingsai d tongue. member ain we d .d pl ;e n l ompr a plurality ofrelatively movable members members into engagement withsaidspherithe'jother or: said last-named'members, said lastrreferred-tomember being held-on said rod against "movementaway from the other V 11,7 sae having surfaces at which they overlappingly engage said inclinedsurface of said lug.

5. A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted tongue member,and means for holding said tongue member against upward displacementcomprising a portion on said tongue member --presenti ng a sphericalsurface and a pluralityof relatively movable members having sphericalsurfaces at which they overlappingly engage the spherical surface ofsaid tongue memher, and spring means forcing said lastnamed members intoengagement with said tongue member. Y 7 V r 6. A switch structurecomp'risingjabase member, a pivoted tongue member, and means for holdingsaid tongue -member against upward displacement comprising a portion onsaid tongue member presenting a spherical surface, a plurality ofmembers having spherical surfaces at which they over-lappingly engagethe spherical surface of said tongue member,i said last-named membersbeing movable toward "each. other,

and spring means urging said last-named cal surface of said tonguemember.

7 A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted tongue inemberand; means for holding said tongue member;

against upward displacement comprising a plurality of members having;surfaces at which they over-lappingly iengage said tongue member, aslidable rod carrying said' last-named members, and a spr ng pressing 7against one of said last-named members and urging it toward the otherthereof, said last referred-t0 member being heldon said rod.

against movement away from the other of said last-named members.

8. A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted tongue memberandmeans for holding said tongue member against up-, ward displacementcomprising a portion o'nfsaid tongue member presenting a sphericalsurface, a plurality of members having spherical surfaces at which theyover-lap pingly engage the sphericalsurface of said said last-namedmembers.

tongue member, a slidable rod carrying said last-named'members, and aspringpressing against one of saidlast-named members and urging ittoward the other thereof, said last referred-to member being heldon saidrod against movement away from theother of 9. A switch structurecomprising a base member, a pivoted tongue member, and

means for holding said tongue member plurality of members havingsurfaces "at tongue 'member a slidable bolt the head of I whichconstitutes "one" of said last-"named members and-the other of which is.in the form of a block slidable along saidbolt, and

a said block toward the head of said bolt.

1 0. A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted tonguemember, and means for holding said tongue member against up-WarddispIacement comprising aportion on block slidable along said bolt,and a spring urging said block-{toward the head of said bolt. I

switch structurecomprising a base member, a pivoted tongue member, andmeans for-holding said tongue member 'against upfward displacementcomprising a plurality of membershavingsurfaces at which they overelappingly engage said tongue member, a slidable threaded rod carryingsaid last named' members, anut on-said rod and a spring 10- catedbetweensaid nut and one of said lastnamed members and urging the latteritowardof said last-named members.

7 IQJAswitch structurecomprising'a-base member, a pivoted tongue''member,; and

meansv for -'holding*- said {tongue ,niember. against upwarddisplacement compr sing; a- POIStlQILIOIlQSEtld, tongue member presentngja spherical surface, a "plurality of members having sphericalsurfaces at which they overlappingly engage" the spherical surface ofsaid tongue member, a. slidable threaded rod ing the latter toward theother of said lastnamed members, said last-referredto members.

13. 'A switch structure comprising a base member, a pivoted tonguemember, means for r V 1115,,

holding said tonguemeinber against upward displacement comprising-aplurality of members having surfaces at which they overlap pingly engagesaidtonguemember'. a slidable threadedrod carrying said last-nai'ned members, a nuton said'r'od and' a spring located "carrying said last-named'members, anut on 7 said rod and a spring located between said nut andonelof said last-namedfmembers and urgbetween said nut and one oflsaidl'ast-named members, and urging the latter toward the other of saidlast-named members, said lastreferred-to-inember beingheld'on said rodagainst movement away-from the other of saidlast-named members, saidbase member being recessedat the portion thereof at which i said nutextends, and' afcover for said recess containing a recess for receivingsaid'nut and holding it against rotation upon applying said cover toplace; T

14:. A switch structure comprising a base r member containinga recess,atongue member 7 located in said recess and having a rounded heelportion rotatable against a wall-ofgs aid recess and a depending lugprovidedwith an upwardy facing spherical surface, the bottom of saidrecess containing an opening 'therethrough and said base membercontaining a space with which, said opening. communicates, and intowhich said lug extends, and means for preventing upwarddisplacementofsaid tongue membercomprising mem bers having sphericalsurfaces overlappingly engaging said tongue member and confined in saidspace against upward displacement. r 15.YA switch structure comprisingabase V r y member,apivoted switch tongue memberjand I? means forholding said tongue member against upward displacement-comprising aportion on said tongue memberpres'enting an upwardly facing sphericalsurfaceand a per tion on said base memberpresentinga dow-nwardly facingspherical'surfaceoverlapping said spherical surface on said tonguemember. 7 16LA switch structure comprisinga'base member; a pivoted switch tongue member, and means for holding saidtong'ue memberflagainst'upward "displacement comprising a 1 portion on said tonguemember presenting an upwardly facing spherical surface and a vpluralityof portions on said base-member each havinga sphericalsurfaceoverlapping t V the spherical surface on said tongue member. v l x HARRYL MILLER;

